Obi Decries ‘Rude, Discourteous Manner’ Police Arrested LP Chairman, Julius Abure

*Other stakeholders furious at development

Chuks Okocha, Juliet Akoje in Abuja and Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has decried “the rude and discourteous manner” men of the Nigeria Police arrested the party’s National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, on Wednesday in Benin City, Edo State.
Obi stated that there should have been a better way to handle the arrest to “show we are civilised and in a democracy”.

Other stakeholders in the party, including the House of Representatives caucus, also frowned on the mode of arrest, calling it an abuse of democratic ethos.
 Writing on his X handle, Obi said, “Like many Nigerians, I observed the distasteful national television news reports detailing the humiliating arrest of the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, earlier today in Benin City, Edo State.
 “Throughout my roles as a private individual, public figure, governor, and presidential candidate, I consistently advocated the paramount importance of upholding the rule of law in any sane society.

 “I firmly believe that, as citizens, we are all duty-bound, irrespective of our status in society, to respond to invitations from properly constituted authority.
 “My stance on this matter remains unwavering but does not explain watching the distressing image of our National Chairman lying on the ground in the name of arrest.
 “This act is undesirable and unequivocally intolerable and must be condemned by any decent and civilised mind within the context of our present civic landscape in Nigeria.
“These deplorable actions epitomise the pinnacle of rascality and serve to egregiously tarnish the already delicate perception of our nation as one plagued by lawlessness.

 “Such behaviour must be not only be denounced but also actively addressed to uphold the principles of justice and respect within our society.”
On the circumstances surrounding Abure’s arrest, Obi said, “It is crucial to emphasise that while constitutional authorities must be allowed to execute their statutory functions, officers must adhere to due process and established arrest procedures, embody civility, decorum, respect for the dignity and rights of citizens, and, above all, the presumption of innocence.
“It is crucial to emphasise that as a leader within the Labour Party, Mr. Abure represents, both personally and statutorily, as the incumbent Chairman of the LP, the face of political opposition in Nigeria.

“It is imperative to reiterate that no pretext or subterfuge should be employed to stifle Nigeria’s political opposition. Therefore, I urge that he should be granted bail based on his status while the investigation continues.”
The LP caucus in the House of Representatives queried the timing and intentions for Abure’s arrest.
According to a statement by the leader of the group, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, the lawmakers described the arrest as cruel, dehumanising, and an abuse of democratic ethos.

The statement said, “The timing of the arrest, on the eve of LP’s primary election for the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State, which the Barrister Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) is overseeing, exposes the ugly development as a crudely scripted political charade that offends the sensibility of every true democrat and puts to question the integrity of the police in issues that involve the political class.”

The lawmakers called on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the arrest, which had portrayed the police in bad light by “Once again soiling the institution in the mud of desperate tussle for political powers by those who see politics as a do or die affair.
“There is no excuse for the manner the police conducted the ill-timed and misleading arrest of LP National Chairman. If there was any need for the police to take Barrister Abure in, a simple invitation would have sufficed.

“The inexplicable dehumanisation and brutalisation of Chief Abure was uncalled for. Democracy ought to refine our security agents and bring out the best in them, rather than enhance their biases and prejudices in the society.”
Similarly, the LP candidate in the 2023 governorship election in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga, condemned Abure’s arrest.
Edeoga said the action of the police amounted to an abuse of rights and could be interpreted to suggest there were attempts to diminish the fortunes of the party in the forthcoming governorship contest in Edo State.

While condemning the public humiliation Abure was subjected to during the arrest via a statement yesterday, Edeoga said in enforcing the arrest, the police treated the Labour Party leader like a criminal. He wondered why no invitation was extended to him before he was subjected to the “public humiliation.”

Edeoga stated, “Without prejudice to the police procedure and investigations, these allegations smack of deliberate attempt to intimidate and diminish the person and office of the Labour Party Chairman before every right-thinking Nigerian.”